Tiger Woods: The PGA Tour's Par-3 Dominator!

Analysis by Top 100 Teacher Mike Perpich
RiverPines Golf
Alpharetta, Ga.
Tiger's Athleticism, extreme workouts and explosive golf swing have made power his trademark. His resulting domination of par 5s, and of storied tracks like Augusta National, The Old Course, and Pebble Beach, only add to his reputation as a big-league slugger. But if you were to take a look at PGA Tour results for par 3s, you'd find that Tiger is almost as much of a standout on the short holes as he is on the long ones.
And while Tiger's ability to master the short holes as well as the long ones is a testament to his incredible short game, it also speaks volumes about the quality of his full swing and iron play in general. This sequence provides a glimpse into why Tiger is consistent &#151; he has total control of his body, which results in maximum ball control. Take a close look at what Tiger does, particularly at address and the way he transitions from backswing to downswing, and you just might find something you can use to improve your own technique.

Tiger's impeccable address allows his arms to hang freely while his shoulders, hips, and feet are all parallel to the target. His ability to maintain these same angles throughout his swing is a huge key to his consistency.

Tiger takes the club back perfectly by simply turning his shoulders, chest and belt buckle away from the target. This allows him to properly rotate his forearms and get the club on the correct path every time.

Tiger's body is still clearly in control of his swing as he hinges the club up with his turn. This position is a result of the turning of his body, not an independent movement of the hands and arms.

Tiger has maintained the tilt from his waist that he set at address, which allows his shaft to remain on plane (check out how the butt end of the club points at the target line). This is a perfect recipe for consistent ballstriking.

This is the best transition from backswing to downswing in golf! The core of Tiger's body is driving in a counterclockwise direction while his arms and the club are falling perfectly on plane.

Tiger's arms and club continue to drop downward as his body rotates, which allows the club to travel to impact on an inside-out path. This is the optimal way to ensure excellent clubface-to-ball contact.

Notice how Tiger's spine tilt and arms are exactly as they were at address. It's important to note that his right foot and right knee are being pulled, not pushed, because his body is constantly unwinding.

Check out how Tiger's entire body faces left of the target, signifying maximum rotation through the shot. Also notice how his right foot is angled &#151; this shows that all his weight has shifted to his front side.

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Tiger Woods: The PGA Tour's Par-3 Dominator!

Analysis by Top 100 Teacher Mike Perpich
RiverPines Golf
Alpharetta, Ga.
Tiger's Athleticism, extreme workouts and explosive golf swing have made power his trademark. His resulting domination of par 5s, and of storied tracks like Augusta National, The Old Course, and Pebble Beach, only add to his reputation as a big-league slugger. But if you were to take a look at PGA Tour results for par 3s, you'd find that Tiger is almost as much of a standout on the short holes as he is on the long ones.
And while Tiger's ability to master the short holes as well as the long ones is a testament to his incredible short game, it also speaks volumes about the quality of his full swing and iron play in general. This sequence provides a glimpse into why Tiger is consistent &#151; he has total control of his body, which results in maximum ball control. Take a close look at what Tiger does, particularly at address and the way he transitions from backswing to downswing, and you just might find something you can use to improve your own technique.